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Pole vaulter Eliza McCartney: Back on track for the Paris Olympics

Joanna Wane
By
Senior Feature Writer Lifestyle Premium·Canvas·
13 mins to read


After years of debilitating injuries, a will of steel has seen pole vaulter Eliza McCartney claw her way back into contention for the Paris Olympics. She talks to Joanna Wane about what it’s cost her.

Five seconds. That’s all it takes from Eliza McCartney’s first step on to the runway, her vaulting pole shouldered like an Amazon running into battle, until her back hits the mat. Time seems to dissolve in those final moments when she’s falling, falling, falling …

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